Your smartphone is likely one of your most treasured possessions, with all your important information and communication tools in one compact device. But with great convenience comes great responsibility. With the increasing dependence on smartphones, there is also a growing risk of cyber threats, such as hacking and malware. If you suspect that your phone has been hacked, it’s important to take action to protect your personal information and prevent further damage. In this article, we will explore some of the most common signs your phone is hacked so that you can take steps to secure your device and keep your information safe. To learn how to keep your smartphone safe from hackers, keep reading until the end. You will also get to know the apps that protect your phone from hackers for free.
How to Keep Your Android Smartphone Safe from Hackers
This article will help you identify the signs your phone is hacked and help you keep your smartphone. To find out the answer to how to keep your smartphone safe from hackers, read our article until the end!
What are the Signs Your Phone is Hacked?
It isn’t impossible for people to infiltrate your confidential data, assume your identity, and misuse your phone and its data. Here are signs your phone is hacked, identifying them early will help you to keep your smartphone and your data safe:
- If you notice that your phone’s camera or microphone is turned on without you knowing, it may be a sign that someone is spying on you. Hackers may use malware to access your phone’s camera or microphone and use it to capture your surroundings or record your conversations.
- If your contacts start receiving strange messages or emails from you that you didn’t send, it could be a sign that your phone has been hacked. Hackers may use your phone to send spam or phishing messages to your contacts to steal their personal information.
- If your phone is running slowly or crashing frequently, you might have a problem with your phone. Malware can slow down your phone’s performance by consuming resources and using up memory, causing apps to crash or freeze.
- If you notice that your phone is using more data than usual, it could be because your phone has been infected with malware. Malware can also download additional software or updates, which can use up your data.
- Malware running in the background can cause your phone’s battery to drain faster than normal. This is because malware can consume a lot of resources, which can cause your phone’s processor to work harder and drain more power.
- Hackers may use your phone to send spam messages or make calls to premium-rate numbers to generate revenue. So, if you start getting calls or text messages to numbers that you don’t know, it may be a sign that your phone has been hacked.
- If you see apps that you don’t remember downloading, it could be a sign that someone else has installed malware on your phone. Hackers may use malware to install additional apps on your phone, which can be used to monitor your activity or steal your personal information.
- If there are any abnormal activities on your device, like automatically opening/closing apps and turning them on or off without manual input, it could indicate a possible security problem. Your mobile may have been affected by malware which can lead to erratic behavior by manipulating settings and configurations beyond the user’s control.
Also Read: How to Tell If Your Phone is Tapped
What Else Can You Do to Keep Your Smartphone Safe?
There is a lot more that you can do to keep your smartphone safe. So, if you are wondering how to keep your smartphone safe from hackers in other ways, these are your answers.
Option I: Password Lock Your phone
Without a password lock, anyone can access your phone and potentially steal your personal information, such as your contacts, messages, and even financial details. Password-locking your phone can also prevent unauthorized access to your social media accounts, email accounts, and other sensitive information that you may have stored on your device. But with a password, even if someone else gains physical access to your phone, they won’t be able to access your personal data without entering the correct passcode or unlocking pattern. Keeping your phone without a password is an easy way to invite hackers and other kinds of trouble.
Option II: Lock Individual Apps
Regularly updating your phone’s software and apps is one of the easiest and most effective ways to keep your phone safe. Updates often include security patches that can fix vulnerabilities and protect your phone from new threats. Ensure you have installed the latest version of your phone’s operating system and check for app updates regularly.
Option III: Only Download Apps from Official App Stores
Downloading apps only from official app stores, such as Google Play Store or Apple App Store, is important to keep your smartphone safe from hackers. These app stores have strict security measures that ensure that apps available for download are free from malware or other malicious code that can compromise your phone’s security.
APKs or modded versions of apps downloaded from other sources, such as third-party app stores or websites, may not have undergone the same level of scrutiny and can be more easily compromised by hackers. Only downloading apps from official app stores can significantly reduce the risk of downloading a malicious app that could steal your personal information or cause other harm to your device.
Also Read: 22 Best and Safe Websites to Download Free Textbooks
Option IV: Keep Your Phone and Apps Updated
It is a no-brainer that keeping your phone and apps updated is an essential step in protecting your phone from hackers. Hackers often exploit vulnerabilities in outdated software to gain access to your phone and steal your personal information.
By updating your phone’s operating system and apps, you can fix these vulnerabilities and patch security flaws, making it more difficult for hackers to exploit them. Regular updates also often include new security features that can further enhance your phone’s protection against potential threats. The answer to how to keep your smartphone safe from hackers might be as simple as keeping your phone and apps updated.
Option V: Use VPN
Using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can help keep you safe from hackers by encrypting your internet traffic and routing it through a secure, private network.
- When you connect to a VPN, your device creates a secure connection with the VPN server, which then acts as a middleman between your device and the internet.
- Any data you send or receive is encrypted, making it much harder for hackers to intercept or access.
- VPNs can also help protect your privacy by masking your IP address and location, which can help prevent tracking and profiling by advertisers and other third parties.
Option VI: Use Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your accounts by requiring you to enter a code sent to your phone or another device in addition to your password. This can help prevent unauthorized access to your accounts, even if someone else gains access to your password. Using two-factor authentication may seem like an overkill, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Option VII: Backup Your Data
Keeping a backup of your data is a great way of safeguarding your information if malware makes it impossible to access. By doing this, you can protect your data from being lost or stolen in case of a phone theft or a cyberattack.
If your phone is hacked, your data can be compromised, and you may lose access to it. However, if you have backed up your data, you can easily restore it to a new device. It is important to back up your data regularly to ensure that you always have an up-to-date copy of your information in case of any data loss or cyberattack.
In the upcoming section, we have mentioned the apps that protect your phone from hackers for free that falls in the categories mentioned above.
List of Apps That Protect Your Phone from Hackers for Free
There are a variety of free apps available that can help safeguard our personal information and keep our phones secure. Whether you’re concerned about malware, phishing attacks, or unauthorized access to your apps and data, these are the apps that protect your phone from hackers for free and offer a range of features to help protect your device. If you are wondering How to keep your smartphone safe from hackers these apps are your answer.
1. Google Play Protect
Google Play Protect is a built-in security feature on Android phones that scans all apps on your device for malware and other security threats.
- It scans all apps and continuously monitors them for any potential security issues, such as malware or phishing attempts.
- Play Protect can also scan your device for potential security vulnerabilities, such as outdated software or insecure settings.
2. Microsoft Authenticator
Microsoft Authenticator is a free app that provides an additional layer of security to your online accounts.
- It works by allowing you to verify your identity when you sign in to your accounts using your phone, rather than simply entering a password.
- The app generates a unique code that you enter when prompted during the login process.
- It’s available for both iOS and Android devices and is easy to set up and use.
Also Read: How to Use Microsoft Authenticator
3. Avast Security & Virus Cleaner
Avast Security & Virus Cleaner is a comprehensive mobile security solution that can help keep your phone safe and protect your personal information.
- It also includes a privacy advisor feature that helps you stay informed about the apps that are accessing your personal information.
- Additionally, it can also scan your phone for vulnerabilities, such as outdated software or weak passwords, and provide recommendations to improve your phone’s security.
4. Norton 360: Mobile Security
Norton 360: Mobile Security includes a variety of security features, such as anti-malware protection, anti-phishing protection, and anti-theft protection.
- It includes a feature called App Advisor, which helps you identify potentially risky apps before you install them.
- The app can block unwanted calls and texts and includes a privacy advisor to help you identify apps that may be accessing your personal data without permission.
5. McAfee Security: Antivirus VPN
McAfee Security: Antivirus VPN provides real-time protection against viruses and other malware.
- It includes a feature called Wi-Fi scanner, which alerts you when you connect to an unsecured Wi-Fi network.
- The privacy protector feature in the app helps in keeping the user’s data safe from hackers.
Also Read: Is Wireless Charging Safe Overnight?
6. AppLock
AppLock allows you to password-protect individual apps on your phone, so that if someone gains access to your phone, they won’t be able to open certain apps without entering a password.
- AppLock offers a variety of locking methods, including PINs, passwords, and patterns.
- It also provides additional security features, such as fake cover screens or intruder alerts.
Read this article from the start to learn how to keep your smartphone safe from hackers.
7. Bitdefender Mobile Security
Bitdefender Mobile Security includes a variety of security features, including anti-malware protection, anti-phishing protection, and anti-theft protection. It also includes a feature called App Lock, which allows you to password-protect individual apps on your phone.
8. NordVPN: private & secure VPN
NordVPN: private & secure VPN is an amazing VPN that you can use to connect to a Virtual Private Network.
- When you connect to a VPN, your phone creates a secure connection and protects your data, the VPN then acts like a middleman between you and the internet.
- NordVPN also comes with a Dark Web Monitor provides an extra layer of protection to your device.
Also Read: How to Get NordVPN Account Free
9. MEGA
MEGA is a cloud storage app that gives users up to 25 GB of cloud storage for free.
- It has such strong and secure end-to-end encryption that it cannot access any account or reset its password. So, the user has to remember their password and keep the recovery keep safely with themselves.
- You can upload your data and keep it safe in case your smartphone is attacked by a hacker.
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We hope that you learned how to keep your smartphone safe from hackers with the signs your phone is hacked. Feel free to reach out to us with your queries and suggestions via the comments section below. Also, let us know what topic you want to learn about in our next article.
